Combustion apparatus



Jan. 15; 1929. 1,699,443

M. OWEN COMBUSTION APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1927 INVENTOR Patented Jan.15, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS OWEN, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

COMBUSTION Application filed May 6,

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in combustionapparatuses and more specifically to such devices known as boilers andfurnaces.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device which willincrease the combustion efficiency in boilers, furnaces and similarcombustion apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to produce an improvement in suchdevices which will greatly reduce the quantity of smoke issuing fromcombustion in such devices.

Av further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of partswhereby I shall be enabled to utilize the flue gases in such devices.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view through a boiler embodying one form ofmy invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view showing a modification of myinvention.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiments ofmy invention, I show a boiler 10 having a fire box 11 and aflue 12. Theboiler I have illustrated herein is of the horizontal type, butit is tobe distinctly understood that any type of boiler might be employed orthe device might be applied to any of the well known types of furnaces.

'Interposed between the fire box 11 and the flue 12 are the boiler pipes13. A door 14 is provided permitting entrance into the fire box .and theusual ash pit 15 having a door 16 is provided below the fire box. In theflue 12 the usual damper 17 is provided. The mechanisms described thusfar may be of any desired style, shape or form. since they constitute nopart of my invention.

As is well known, combustion efficiency at the present time iscomparatively low and due to this'fact a considerable quantity of com-APPARATUS.

1927. Serial No. 189,395.

bustible gases escapes through the flue. This is true whether thecombustible material be coal, wood, oil, or gas, therefore I wish' itunderstood that while I have illustrated my invention in connection witha coal burning boiler, that any of the other well known types of fuelmight be substituted.

The major feature of my invention consists I in utilizing thecombustible fuels which usually escape through the flue by directingthem back into the fire box. I accomplish this by providing a collectingmember 18 in the flue. It is to be understood that this collectingmember may be of any desired form and may be mounted in the flue in anydesired manner and still not depart from the purview of my invention. Ifdesired, the collector may be formed on the end of the conduit whichserves to direct the gases back into the fire box.

In the present embodiment I show a conduit 19 directed through the wallof the flue in communication with the collector 18. This conduitissupported by the upright 20 mounted on the top of the boiler and has anenlarged end forming a sleeve 21. A conduit 22 is slidably mounted inthe sleeve 21 so as to be reciprocable therein and it is preferable thata packing (not shown) be provided around the conduit 22in order toprovide a gas tight joint therebetween. A collar 23 is provided on theconduit 22 and is adapted to engage the support 24 that is mounted onthe upper side of the boiler 10 and which serves to support the conduit22. The conduit 22 is directed downwardly and inwardly toward the firebox.v Y

It is to be understood that the conduit 22 might be directed into thefire box at any desired point but I have found it preferable to directthis conduit into the fire box through the door thereto since the dooris usually located centrally of the fire box and thus affords anadvantageous point through which to admit the gases. If desired thegases from the flue may be directed into the fire box withoutinterruptionbut I have found it preferable to mix the gases with airbefore admitting them into the fire box.

An opening 25 isprovided in the fire door 10 and a directing member 26is mounted in this opening. Preferably though not necessarily, thisdirecting member 26 is formed with an outwardly flaring opening at itsouter end so as to be practically funnel shaped. On the end of theconduit 22 I provide an outwardly flaring member 27 which is flared inthe opposite direction from the flared portion on the directing member26 in the manner depicted in Fig. 1. This construction permits air to bedrawn in around the conduit 22 and causes the air to be mixed with thegases coming from the conduit 22, the neck portion of the member 26serving asa mixing chamber.

In order to facilitate the opening of the door 14 I provide theconstruction comprised of the sleeve 21 and the conduit 22 which permitsthe conduit 22 to be pulled outwardly so as to be free from the firedoor and thus permit opening thereof. It is apparent that thisconstruct-ion affords a detachable connection between the conduit 22 andthe directing member 26. This connection is also arranged so that itforms a venturi, the outwardly flared portion of the directing member 26constituting the bell of the venturi and the end of the conduit 23forming the inner portion thereof. This construction aids in drawing thegases from the conduit 23.

While the foregoing construction increases the efficiency of combustionto a considerable extent I have found that the temperatures of thegasesin the flue are considerably lower than the temperature in the fire box11. In

view of this it is readily apparent that it would be advantageous toheat the gases be fore admitting them into the fire box.

In order to accomplish this I provide the construction depicted in Fig.2 wherein the cylindrical member 28 is mounted in the fire door 1 1.This cylindrical member is formed so as to comprise a tortuous passage29 which is formed by arranging a cylinder 30 so as to T be supportedfrom one end of the structure and having its opposite ends out ofengagement with the opposite end and by mounting the cylinder 31 fromthe opposite end and having its outer ends out of engagement with theend carrying the'member 80. The tortuous passage 29 terminates in thepassage 32 which is in communication with the outlet member 33. Theoutlet member 83 is mounted well within the fire box 11 and dispersesthe incoming mixture over the area of combustion. The conduit 22 isarranged in the same manner as depicted in Fig. 1 and the directingmember 26 is arranged so that it can be secured to flanges provided inthe member 28. The member 26 is formed so as to comprise an outwardlyflared end similar to that provided on the member 26. As is apparent themajor portion of the member 28 is contained within the fire box 11 andit will therefore become heated and will effectively heat the incomingmixture. The gases from the flue and the air will be there intermixed inthe chamber provided in themember 26. A heating device such as thatdepicted herein is described in my co-pending application, Serial No.149,214, filed Nov. 18, 1926.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a device whichenables the collecting the flue gases and introduces them into the firebox after having intermingled them withair so as to produce acombustible composition. A structure such as I have depicted hereinhighly increases the eficiency of combustion and serves to reduce thesmoke resulting from combustion to a point where it is practicallynegligible. The collecting member may be located at any point in theflue, that is any point between the end of the boiler tubes adjacent thefire box and the top of the flue but I have found it preferable to haveit located between the damper and the outer end of the boiler tubes.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but'desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifi cations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what- I claim as new and desire toprotect by Let-- ters Patent is: v

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fire box, aflue for said fire box, a door for said fire box having anopeningtherein, a sleeve extending through said openings and having anoutwardly flaredpor tion on the outer end thereof, a gas collector insaid flue, a conduit having one end thereof in communication with saidgas collector and having a substantially funnel-shaped portion on theother end thereof, said funnel shaped portion being adapted to bedisposed in the outwardly flared portion of said sleeve'in spacedrelation thereto whereby air may enter into said sleeve around saidfunnel-shaped portion so as'to be intermixed with the gas emitted fromsaid portion. r r

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fire box, aflue for said fire box, a door for said fire box having an openingtherein, a sleeve extending through said'ope'ning and having anoutwardly flared portion on the outer end thereof, said sleeve includinga portion adapted to extend into said fire box so as to be disposed overthe fire therein, said portion having a tortuous pas sage formed thereinand having an outlet formed at the inner end thereof, a gas col lectorin said flue, a conduit having one end thereof in communication withsaid gas collector and having a substantially funnelshaped portion onthe other end thereof, said funnel shaped portion being adapted to bedisposed in the outwardly flared portion of said sleeve in spacedrelation thereto whereby air may enter into said sleeve around saidfunnel-shaped portion so as to be intermixed with the gas emitted fromsaid portion, said conduit including means adapted to permit said funnelshaped end to be withdrawn from said outwardly flared portion wherebysaid door may be opened.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MORRIS OWEN.

